Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Tactical Transparency"I think this book spells out this new form of online communication in an extremely clear and valuable way. It drives home the point that social networking and blogging are only as useful and effective as the energy you put forth. As CEO, if you are sincere in your belief that the consumer of today deserves an opportunity to be heard, and you believe in your mission and direction for the company you lead, then this kind of communication is appropriate and necessary for future success!"
—Cindi Bigelow, president, Bigelow Tea
"Being better engaged with the marketplace than your competition is an advantage; transparency and authenticity are vital to that engagement. Engaging in an authentic conversation with the markets you serve brings nothing but opportunity."
—Jonathan Schwartz, CEO and president, Sun Microsystems
"Social media is transforming our culture. Smart companies value social media as a cultural pathway to creating more trustworthy relationships with customers. Holtz and Havens have crafted an impressive blueprint on how to be successful in this new age."
—Jackie Huba, coauthor, Citizen Marketers and Creating Customer Evangelists
"Using effective scenarios and real examples, this book will help corporate leaders visualize and practically achieve the positive results coming from embracing authenticity in communicating to customers, partners, and internal employees."
—Paolo Tosolini, new media business manager, Microsoft Corp.
"In a world of transparency, consumers cut through the bull, the fluff, the noise, and the decoys to see what's really at the unvarnished core. This excellent book—written by two experts who have never taken off their own transparency goggles—is part warning shot and part blueprint for the future."
—Pete Blackshaw, EVP, Nielsen Online, and author, Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000
Synopsis
tactical transparency
Organizations are under a microscope as never before, and thanks to the Internet and the growing use of high-speed connections, word of misdeeds and mistakes can spread to millions with unprecedented speed, causing untold damage to an organization's reputation and share price. No longer just a "nice-to-know" concept, transparency has become a state of mind for thousands of CEOs, managers, employees, and customers around the globe. The flood of social media has brought in an age of digital transparency that is?putting the power to create or destroy a reputation into the hands of consumers. Every business today must speak the language and meet the expectations of a new digital population.
While exposing the risks inherent in maintaining a nontransparent relationship with customers, Tactical Transparency provides a methodology that will help organizations create their own unique plans to bring greater authenticity to their companies and brands. Drawn largely from interviews with leaders in companies that have achieved measurable success in this arena, authors Shel Holtz and John C. Havens provide step-by-step details on how executives and professional communicators can create a transparency strategy that will keep their organizations competitive in the twenty-first century. The authors show how organizations can evaluate their readiness for transparency, what they need to do to get ready, and how?to effectively communicate their transparency strategy to their customers and employees. They also identify aspects of blog/new media "netiquette"an important but often misunderstood part of engaging in transparency.
Synopsis
How to create a transparency strategy that keeps organizations competitive
Based on interviews with leaders and communicators in companies that have achieved measurable success though the implementation of transparency strategies, Tactical Transparency helps organizations determine the steps organizations need to take to execute their strategy. The authors explain the business rationale for transparency and show how a company can effectively communicate its transparency, particularly through blogs and other new media, always using appropriate "netiquette."
Shel Holtz, ABC (Accredited Business Communicator) (Concord, CA), is Principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. His clients have included Intel, Sears, PepsiCo, Aetna, The World Bank, Disney, and FedEx among others. John C. Havens (Maplewood, NJ) is currently Vice President of Business Development for BlogTalkRadio.com.
Synopsis
While exposing the risks inherent in maintaining a nontransparent relationship with customers,
Tactical Transparency provides a methodology that will help your organization create its unique plan to bring greater authenticity to your company and your brands. Drawn largely from interviews with leaders in companies that have achieved measurable success in this arena, authors Shel Holtz and John C. Havens provide step-by-step details on how executives and professional communicators can create a transparency strategy that will keep their organization competitive in the twenty-first century. The authors show how organizations can evaluate their readiness for transparency, what they need to do to get ready, and how to effectively communicate their transparency strategy to their customers and employees. They also identify aspects of blog/new media "netiquette" an important but often misunderstood part of engaging in transparency.
Your purchase of Tactical Transparency Includes a One Year Subscription to Fast Company ($10 value). View the refund/promotion details here.
About the Author
Shel Holtz, an accredited business communicator, is a principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. His clients have included Intel, Sears, PepsiCo, Aetna, John Deere, General Mills, USAA, Applied Materials, Symantec, Raytheon, World Bank, Petrobras, Disney, FedEx, Freescale Semiconductor, and more. He is the author of five communication-related books.
John C. Havens is vice president of business development for BlogTalkRadio.com. His About.com Guide to Podcasting show has featured interviews with hundreds of new media's leading minds. Previously, he was a professional actor, appearing in such films and TV shows as The Thomas Crown Affair, Law & Order, and Spin City.
Table of Contents
Foreword (
Lynne D. Johnson).
Introduction: The Glass House of Business.
Part One: Strategy.
1. What Is Transparency? A Working Defi nition.
2. Someone May Be Looking: Transparency Done Right and Wrong.
3. Do You Have What It Takes? Characteristics of Transparent Organizations.
Part Two: Tactics.
4. From Prospects to People: Why Opaque Selling Doesn’t Deliver Long-Term Return on Investment.
5. Follow the Money: Financial Communications.
6. When Things Go Bad: Transparency During a Crisis.
7. Exposing the Company to the Employees Who Make It Work: Internal Transparency.
8. Meet the Press: Traditional Public Relations and Media Relations.
9. The View from the Top: The Role of Leadership.
10. En-Gauge the Conversation: How Issues Blogs Show People You’re Listening.
11. From the Inside Looking Out: Employee Involvement.
12. Transparency Beyond Text: How Audio, Video, and Interactive Media Build Trust.
13. Profi le and Privacy: Transparency in Social Networks.
14. The Case for Face-to-Face: Transparency in Person.
Part Three: Making It Real.
15. The Toothpaste Is Out of the YouTube: Addressing Loss of Control with Transparent Tactics.
16. Yeah, But . . . : Overcoming Objections.
17. Your Road Map to Transparency: Creating a Plan.
18. What’s Next? The Future of Transparency.
Notes.
Acknowledgments.
The Authors.
Index.